1 Ndị Kọrint 9
1 Abụghị m onye nwe onwe ya? Abụghị m onyeozi Kraịst? Ọ bụ na m ahụghị Jisọs Onyenwe anyị? Unu abụghị ihe ngosipụta ọrụ m rụrụ nʼime Onyenwe anyị?
Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? Have I not seen Christ Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
2 Ọ bụrụ na m abụghị onyeozi nʼebe ndị ọzọ nọ, nʼebe unu nọ, abụ m onyeozi nʼeziokwu nʼihi na unu bụ akara nke ọrụ onyeozi m nʼime Onyenwe anyị.
And if I am not an Apostle to others, yet still I am to you. For you are the seal of my Apostleship in the Lord.
3 Ihe ngọpụ m nye ndị ahụ na-enyocha m bụ nke a.
My defense with those who question me is this:
4 Ọ bụ na anyị enweghị ike iri ihe oriri na ịṅụ ihe ọṅụṅụ?
Do we not have the authority to eat and to drink?
5 Ọ bụ na anyị enweghị ike iduru nwunye onye bụ onye kwere ekwe gaa ebe ọbụla anyị na-aga dịka ndị ozi ọzọ na-eme, na dịka ụmụnne Onyenwe anyị na Sefas na-emekwa?
Do we not have the authority to travel around with a woman who is a sister, just as do the other Apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Ọ ga-abụ naanị mụ na Banabas bụ ndị na-enweghị ike ịhapụ ịrụ ọrụ maka ihe anyị ga na-eri?
Or is it only myself and Barnabas who do not have the authority to act in this way?
7 Olee onye agha unu maara nke na-esi nʼakpa ya akwụ onwe ya ụgwọ ọnwa? Ka ọ dị onye ọrụ ubi vaịnị unu maara nke na-adịghị eri mkpụrụ e si nʼubi ahụ weta? Olee onye ọzụzụ atụrụ unu maara nke na-adịghị aṅụ mmiri ara e si nʼigwe atụrụ ọ na-azụ apịpụta?
Who has ever served as a soldier and paid his own stipend? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat from its produce? Who pastures a flock and does not drink from the milk of the flock?
8 Anaghị m ekwu ihe a nʼihi na ha bụ ihe na-eme ụbọchị niile nʼetiti ndị mmadụ? Akwụkwọ iwu, o kwukwaghị otu ihe ahụ?
Am I saying these things according to man? Or does the law not also say these things?
9 Nʼihi na e dere ya nʼiwu nke Mosis, “Ekechila ọnụ ehi mgbe ọ na-azọcha mkpụrụ ọka.” Unu chere na ọ bụ naanị ehi ka Chineke bu nʼobi kwuo okwu a?
For it is written in the law of Moses: “You shall not bind the mouth of an ox, while it is treading out the grain.” Is God here concerned with the oxen?
10 E, nʼihi anyị ka eji dee ya nʼakwụkwọ. Nʼezie, e dere ihe ndị a nʼihi anyị, nʼihi na onye rụrụ ọrụ nʼubi na onye na-azọcha mkpụrụ dị nʼubi ahụ, na-eme nke a nʼolileanya na o kwesiri iketa oke site na mkpụrụ e si nʼubi ahụ weta.
Or is he saying this, indeed, for our sake? These things were written specifically for us, because he who plows, ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes, too, in hope of receiving the produce.
11 Mkpụrụ anyị kụrụ nʼime obi unu bụ mkpụrụ nke mmụọ. Ọ ga-abụ ihe ọjọọ ma anyị sị unu nyetụ anyị ụfọdụ nʼime akụnụba unu?
If we have sown spiritual things in you, is it important if we harvest from your worldly things?
12 Ọ bụrụ na ndị ọzọ kwesiri iketa uru dị otu a nʼahụ unu, ọ bụ na anyị ekwesighị iketa karịa? Ma ọ dịbeghị mgbe anyị rịọrọ unu ihe ọbụla, kama anyị na-agbalịsị ike ịhụ na ọ dịghị ihe ga-egbochi unu iji ezi obi na-ege ntị nʼoziọma Kraịst nke anyị wetara.
If others are sharers in this authority over you, why are we not more entitled? And yet we have not used this authority. Instead, we bear all things, lest we give any hindrance to the Gospel of Christ.
13 Ọ bụ na unu amataghị na ndị na-arụ ọrụ nʼụlọnsọ ukwu na-esi nʼụlọnsọ ahụ na-eweta ihe ha na-eri? Ndị na-agbakwa odibo nʼebe ịchụ aja na-eketakwa oke nʼihe eji chụọ aja?
Do you not know that those who work in the holy place eat the things that are for the holy place, and that those who serve at the altar also share with the altar?
14 Nʼotu aka ahụ kwa, Onyenwe anyị ekwuola na ndị niile na-ekwusa oziọma ya ga-esi nʼoziọma eweta nri ha ga-eri dị ndụ.
So, too, has the Lord ordained that those who announce the Gospel should live by the Gospel.
15 Ma o nweghị mgbe m jirila ike ndị a m nwere irite uru nʼọrụ m nara ndị mmadụ ihe. Anaghị m ede nke a nʼakwụkwọ ka a na-ebutere m ihe onyinye. Nʼihi na ọ kaara m mma ka m nwụọ kama m ga-ekwe ka onye ọbụla mee ka ịnya isi m bụrụ ihe efu nʼihi ihe onyinye.
Yet I have used none of these things. And I have not written so that these things may be done for me. For it is better for me to die, rather than to let anyone empty out my glory.
16 Anaghị anya isi nʼihi na ana m ezisa oziọma, maka na nke ahụ bụ ọrụ e nyere m nʼiwu ka m rụọ. Ahụhụ dịịrị m ma ọ bụrụ na m ezisaghị oziọma.
For if I preach the Gospel, it is not glory for me. For an obligation has been laid upon me. And woe to me, if I do not preach the Gospel.
17 A sị na m ji aka m họpụta onwe m ịrụ ọrụ a, agaara m enwe ụgwọ ọrụ, ma na ọ bụrụ na o sighị nʼuche aka m, unu mara na-ahanyere m ya nʼaka.
For if I do this willingly, I have a reward. But if I do this reluctantly, a dispensation is granted to me.
18 Gịnị bụ ụgwọ ọrụ m? Ụgwọ ọrụ m bụ ọṅụ m na-enwe site nʼizisa oziọma a, na-anaghị onye ọbụla ụgwọ ọrụ ọbụla, maọbụ ihe ruru m dịka onye na-ezisa oziọma ahụ.
And what, then, would be my reward? So, when preaching the Gospel, I should give the Gospel without taking, so that I may not misuse my authority in the Gospel.
19 Ọ bụ ezie na-abụghị m ohu onye ọbụla, ma emeela m onwe m ohu nye mmadụ niile ka m nwee ike site nʼụzọ dị otu a rite ọtụtụ mkpụrụobi nʼuru nye Kraịst.
For when I was a free man to all, I made myself the servant of all, so that I might gain all the more.
20 Nʼebe ndị Juu nọọ, ana m eme dịka onye Juu, ka m nwee ike rite ndị Juu nʼuru. Nʼetiti ndị nọ nʼokpuru iwu, ana m emekwa dịka otu nʼime ndị nọ nʼokpuru iwu (nʼagbanyeghị na mụ onwe m anọghị nʼokpuru iwu), ka m si otu a nwee ike rite ndị nọ nʼokpuru iwu nʼuru.
And so, to the Jews, I became like a Jew, so that I might gain the Jews.
21 Nʼebe ndị na-anọghị nʼokpuru iwu nọ, emere m onwe m ka onye na-anọghị nʼokpuru iwu (ma nke a apụtaghị na m na-akwụsị ime ihe iwu Chineke na-achọ. Ana m emekwa dịka onye nọ nʼokpuru iwu Kraịst), ka m nwee ike rite ndị na-anọghị nʼokpuru iwu nʼuru.
To those who are under the law, I became as if I were under the law, (though I was not under the law) so that I might gain those who were under the law. To those who were without the law, I became as if I were without the law, (though I was not without the law of God, being in the law of Christ) so that I might gain those who were without the law.
22 Nʼebe ndị na-adịghị ike nọ, ana m emekwa dịka ha, ka m nwee ike rite ndị na-adịghị ike nʼuru. Otu ọbụla mmadụ si dịrị, ana m agbalị chọọ ụzọ m ga-esi mee ka ọ nabata m, ka m nwee ike site nʼụzọ niile ọbụla zọpụta ụfọdụ.
To the weak, I became weak, so that I might gain the weak. To all, I became all, so that I might save all.
23 Ana m eme ihe ndị a niile nʼihi oziọma, ma ka m nwekwa ike keta oke na ngọzị ya.
And I do everything for the sake of the Gospel, so that I may become its partner.
24 Unu amataghị na mgbe ọtụtụ mmadụ na-agba ọsọ ịsọ mpi, ọ bụ naanị otu onye na-enwe ihe onyinye nke mbụ? Ya mere, gbasienụ ọsọ ike, ka unu nweta onyinye ahụ.
Do you not know that, of those who run in a race, all of them, certainly, are runners, but only one achieves the prize. Similarly, you must run, so that you may achieve.
25 Ndị na-ejikere ịgba ọsọ maọbụ egwuregwu ọzọ na-enwe ntachiobi nʼọtụtụ ahụhụ nke ya na ọzụzụ so. Ha na-azụ onwe ha naanị ka ha nweta okpueze okoko osisi na-emebi emebi. Ma ọsọ anyị na-agba bụ ka anyị nweta okpueze nke na-apụghị imebi emebi.
And one who competes in a contest abstains from all things. And they do this, of course, so that they may achieve a corruptible crown. But we do this, so that we may achieve what is incorruptible.
26 Ọ bụ nke a mere m ji na-agba ọsọ a na-eleghị anya nʼazụ, maọbụ kụọ ọkpọ dịka m na-akụ ifufe.
And so I run, but not with uncertainty. And so I fight, but not by flailing in the air.
27 Ma ana m azụ ahụ m, na-enye ya ahụhụ mee ya ka ọ bụrụ ohu, ka mụ onwe m ghara ị bụ onye a jụrụ ajụ mgbe m kwusasịrị oziọma nye ndị ọzọ.
Instead, I chastise my body, so as to redirect it into servitude. Otherwise, I might preach to others, but become myself an outcast.
